Plastic Reboot

Project Overview

Single-use plastics have rapidly accelerated in Cambodia, particularly in the Food and Beverage (F&B) and tourism sectors, resulting in negative impacts on human health, the environment, and the economy. In recent years, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has developed and drafted several policies in support of a circular economy for plastics.

However, the prevailing plastic economy largely adheres to a linear model as most of the laws and regulations are still drafts, not yet approved and enforced. In addition, the awareness, capacity, and cooperation of stakeholders across the F&B single-use plastics value chain are weak, and access to viable alternative solutions and to financial and economic incentives for private sector innovation is limited. The project aims to catalyze circular economy approaches to reduce single-use plastic production, consumption, and disposal in the F&B and tourism sectors.

Project Components

• Strengthen the enabling regulatory and policy environment;

• Mobilize finance for circular economy measures and engage the F&B and tourism sectors for innovation;

• Promote behavior and social change towards circular economy solutions among citizens and the F&B and tourism sectors;

• Ensure national and program-level coordination, knowledge management, and communication.

Global Environmental Benefits

The project is expected to deliver the following Global Environment Benefits: 19,120 metric tons of avoided residual plastic waste (CI 9.8), in turn resulting in 1.32 gTEQ persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to air reduced (CI 10) and 74,144 metric tons of CO2e reduced (CI 6.7); it will directly benefit 529,164 people, of which 261,937 men and 267,228 women.